Orleans Parish prosecutors on Thursday announced the decision to decline charges following news that Marshall Coulter, 15, who survived the shooting, had been arrested in connection with burglaries in the same neighborhood. The decision also comes after a grand jury failed to take action earlier this year, leaving the viability of the case in doubt.

"I am ethically obligated not to charge an individual against whom I do not possess evidence that proves beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed a crime," Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro said in statement. "Such evidence does not exist in this case."

Police arrested Landry, 33, on a charge of attempted second-degree murder after he shot Coulter, then 14, after finding the teen in the fenced-in area of Landry's property in the 700 block of Mandeville Street.

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Ken Daley and Helen FreundStaff writers

Landry, an inspector with the city's Historic District Landmarks Commission, has been free on bond, but the threat of prosecution loomed following the grand jury's divided vote, as the district attorney's office said the case remained open.

After Cannizzaro announced the decision, Landry's attorneys said he was "overjoyed" by the decision. His father, Larry Landry said, "We're relieved as a family that this is off our chests. The whole thing is just so sad. It was really a no-win situation."

After news of that arrest surfaced, police linked Coulter to a third crime, this one in 2012 in which he is accused of entering a home on Frenchmen Street, taking a gun, threatening a resident who confronted him and then fleeing with the weapon. Coulter faces the most serious charge -- aggravated burglary -- in that case, which is before a juvenile court judge.

"Following Coulter's most recent burglary arrests, any case that this office had against Landry was irreversibly damaged," Cannizzaro said.

Prosecutors could have charged Landry with a crime without taking the case before a grand jury, and they have not given a public explanation for its approach to leave it up to a panel of Orleans Parish residents.

The district attorney refused to talk to reporters, instead providing a written a statement. And Cannizzaro did not authorize his top prosecutors to speak publicly about the case.

A source in the District Attorney's office who was involved in the case, however, provided some insight. Prosecutors considered a variety of possible charges, but ultimately decided there wasn't enough evidence to prove Landry acted criminally. State law, the source noted, says "there shall be a presumption that a person lawfully inside a dwelling, place or business or motor vehicle held a reasonable belief that the use of force or violence was necessary to prevent unlawful entry thereto or to compel an unlawful intruder to leave the premises."

Investigators found Coulter's fingerprints on the shutters of Landry's home, which had been opened, causing light to shine inside, evidence that backed up Landry's assertion that he feared someone was trying to break into his house, the source said.

Cannizzaro's statement also addressed the confusion over Coulter's medical condition, suggesting his office was surprised, as many were, that Coulter had recovered to the point of being being out and about.

"Based on numbers interactions with Coulter, as well as interviews with his family and healthcare providers, we were repeatedly led to believe that he was in what can best be described as an irreparable, semi-vegetative state," Cannizzaro said. "When we visited with Coulter less than three months ago, we were led to believe that he could not walk without assistance and could only provide single-word responses to the simplest questions."

On the night of the shooting, Landry told police that he approached the teen from his front yard, near his car, which was parked a few feet away from his back door. As Coulter neared, Landry said, the teen made a "move, as if to reach for something." Fearing the intruder had a weapon, Landry shot him, according to court records. His pregnant wife and children were inside.

When detectives arrived on the scene, they determined that Coulter, who was not armed, was not posing an "imminent threat" to Landry. Landry was booked into the Orleans Parish Prison.

"This has been a nightmare for him," said Roger Jordan, an attorney for Landry. "Merritt never wanted to be in a position to shoot anyone. He never wanted to be in the position where he had to defend his family, but he did that, and now he's had to live through this ordeal."

The shooting came on the heels of George Zimmerman's acquittal in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Florida. Some were quick to draw parallels.

Coulter is black and Landry is white. Critics accused Landry of overreacting with deadly force. Supporters said he had the right to defend himself and his family.

Rev. Aubry Wallace, president of the Louisiana Coalition for Change, said initial comparisons to the Florida case were not validated by the investigation.

"Marshall Coulter is not another Trayvon Martin," Wallace said. "I don't think Mr. Landry woke up and said he wanted to hurt a black person that morning. He used his right to protect his property at that time. I never looked at it as another Trayvon Martin situation."

He said he didn't see race as an issue in the Merritt Landry-Marshall Coulter case. "Not one single employee for Landry's employer raised any issue in reference to him being a bigot or racist. I think he's a Christian man," Wallace said.

Instead, Wallace said, the focus should be on Coulter's troubles.

"It's a moral issue. Somebody has failed this child," Wallace said. "Are we concerned enough about him to turn him around onto the right road? We are missing the mark in our community."

It's unclear if Coulter is at home, in a juvenile lockup or in a state hospital following his burglary arrest. A juvenile court judge at a hearing last week recommended he be treated at a state hospital while his mental competency is evaluated.

Landry, who has moved from the Marigny property that was the subject of national news, still works for the city. After a three-month suspension, he was put on desk duty with the Historic District and Landmark Commission. A City Hall spokesman said his status is being revisited following prosecutors' decision.

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Michelle Hunter and Jed Lipinski of NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune contributed to this report.